ARANEIDEA. 37 



Genua-STEATODA, Thor. 



40. STEATODA NIGROCINCTA, sp. n. 



Adult female : length 2f lines. 



The cephalothorax is of a short-oval form : the caput is slightly constricted on the sides 

 and the normal indentations are well marked, that at the junction of the caput and thoracic 

 segments being very strong, giving rather a crushed appearance to this part, and with a 

 transverse direction. The colour is yellow-brown, darker in the direction of the indentations, 

 and in a wedge-shaped form behind the eyes, but rather lighter towards the lateral margins. 

 The surface is glossy and (apparently) devoid of hairs, but covered with minute red-brown 

 granulosities. 



The eyes are of moderate size, and do not differ much in this respect : they are in the 

 ordinary position ; those of the hind-central pair are rather nearer together than each is to 

 the hind-lateral eye on its side ; those of the front row, which is the shortest, appear to be 

 divided by as nearly as possible equal intervals ; those of each lateral pair are seated a little 

 obliquely, and contiguously, on a slight tubercle. The four central eyes form a square. 



The legs are moderate in length and strength ; their relative length is 1, 4, 2, 3, but the 

 difference between those of the first and fourth pairs is not much. They are of a rather 

 orange yellow-brown colour, deepening in hue towards the extremities, and are furnished with 

 hairs and bristles which spring from minute tubercular red-brown granulosities. 



The palpi are slender, and similar to the legs in colour. 



The J aloes are neither very long nor strong; they are straight, perpendicular, similar to 

 the cephalothorax in colour, and granulose. 



The maxillce and labium are of normal form, and rather lighter in colour than the falces. 



The sternum is somewhat heart-shaped, broadly truncated, in a rather hollowed line, at 

 its fore-extremity, and of a pale orange-yellow colour. 



The abdomen is large, of a short-oval form, very convex above, and projects considerably 

 over the base of the cephalothorax ; it is of a dull luteous-brown colour, sprinkled with white 

 cretaceous spots, which are principally gathered into a longitudinal median-line and a some- 

 what dentated line on each side of the upper part ; the median white line has some black spots 

 and markings on each side of it, those on the hinder half forming a series of broken transverse 

 angular bars. There are also black markings on each side of the lateral white borders; that 

 below each is broad, and continued quite round in front, where it meets the other from the 

 opposite side ; the upper side of the abdomen has also some other black spots and points scat- 

 tered over it ; the middle of the under side has a largish square area of white cretaceous 

 spots, bearing two strong parallel patches of deep red-brown on its fore part. The spinners 

 are short, compact, and of a pale-yellowish colour. 



The male resembles the female in general characters and colours ; it is, however, smaller 

 and paler, and the legs of the first pair are longer ; the palpi are like the legs in colour ; they 

 are long and slender, the radial joint is double the length of the cubital, which is of a bent form, 

 and the former is somewhat clavate, and has its extremity on the outer side broadly produced, 

 but in close contact with the digital joint ; the digital joint is of moderate size, of oval form, 

 with its fore extremity pinched in to a point ; the palpal organs are well developed and rather 

 complex, with some whitish prominent membrane just above their fore extremity. 



Hftb. Murrce, June llth to July 14th, 1873 ; and route from Ydrkand to Bursi, May 

 28th to June 17th, 1874. 



